On the outskirts of Varanasi is Sarnath, where 2500 years ago Buddha achieved enlightenment and began to teach. Sarnath is also known as Dharmachakra-the Wheel of Dharma (Buddha's Teaching). Here are monuments known as Stupas which mark important instances in the life and teaching of Buddha. The Deer Park, now a monument (some of the brick work is from 200 BCE), where Buddha gave his first teaching to his first 5 students is also known as the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma. With the turning of the Wheel, Buddha initiated a process through which all beings may approach enlightenment.

One time Buddha said, if you see the Dharma, you see the Buddha. Pointing to his body, he said, if you see this but not the Dharma, you do not see the Buddha. Once he was asked "Are you a god?" and he said no. Then he was asked "Are you a man?" and he said no. We can think about Buddha as reality itself knowing itself. As the Buddha, Reality exhorted all those around to go beyond a merely superficial knowing of self and world. Without this, Buddha said, existence is blind to its own nature and thus suffers. Here was/is a message from the depth to the surface.